Fair play in chess

Fair play

Definition

In chess, fair play is the principle of competing honestly, respectfully, and within the rules—over-the-board and online. It covers everything from not receiving outside assistance to observing etiquette such as the touch-move rule, offering draws properly, and behaving respectfully toward opponents, arbiters, and spectators. Fair play is formally protected by FIDE’s Laws of Chess and the FIDE Fair Play Commission (formerly the Anti-Cheating Commission).

How it is used in chess

Players, organizers, and arbiters use “fair play” to describe compliance with both the letter and spirit of the game. In tournaments it includes anti-cheating measures, proper draw procedure, silence in the playing hall, and following arbiter instructions. Online, platforms use “fair play” to refer to policies against engine use, account manipulation, and unsporting behaviors like stalling or disconnecting in lost positions.

Strategic and practical significance

Fair play safeguards trust, making results meaningful and ratings reliable. Strategically, it shapes norms: you may play for swindles and set traps—that is part of the game—but you must do so without illicit help or distractions. Event organizers design regulations (e.g., limits on early draws, anti-cheating checks) to promote fighting, honest chess while protecting players’ rights.

Core elements of fair play

Play your own moves: no engine or human assistance, notes, or advice during a game (including online and during adjournments/analysis breaks in older formats).
Observe touch-move and j'adoube: if you touch a piece intentionally, you must move it if legal; say “j’adoube” before adjusting pieces.
Time and conduct: arrive on time, make moves promptly, press your clock correctly, do not distract the opponent (no talking, gestures, or repeated draw offers).
Draw etiquette: offer a draw on your move, after making your move and before pressing your clock. Do not pester—repeated offers can be penalized.
Respectful behavior: customary greeting (handshake or equivalent gesture), no gloating, and gracious resignation or acceptance of defeat. Playing on in plausible drawing chances is fine; refusing a draw in a drawn ending is not “unfair,” just a sporting choice.
Arbiter procedures: if a dispute arises, stop the clocks and call the arbiter. Do not argue or change pieces/clock settings without supervision.
Online specifics: no engine use, no “sandbagging” (losing intentionally to lower rating), no “boosting” (colluding for rating), no stalling or disconnecting to run down the opponent’s clock.

Examples

Touch-move in practice: You touch your knight on g1 intending to move it. Even if you then see a tactic you missed, you must move that knight if a legal move exists. If you accidentally brushed it while straightening pieces, saying “j’adoube” beforehand clarifies you are adjusting.
Proper draw offer: You play 25...Re8, then say “Draw?” before pressing your clock. Your opponent can accept, decline, or make a move (which implicitly declines). Repeating the offer every move may be penalized.
Claiming threefold repetition: If the same position with the same player to move and same rights (castling/en passant) occurs for the third time, you can claim a draw with the arbiter before making your next move. Illustration:
. After 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Ng1 Ng8 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Ng1 Ng8, White may claim a draw before playing the next move.
Online mouse-slip: In casual play, offering a takeback after an obvious slip is often seen as good sportsmanship. In rated events, takebacks are usually not allowed—play carefully and accept the result without harassment.
Calling the arbiter: If your opponent’s phone rings in a tournament with a no-phone policy, stop the clock and summon the arbiter; do not enforce penalties yourself.

History and governance

FIDE created an Anti-Cheating team in the early 2010s, later formalized as the Fair Play Commission, to address engine-assisted cheating and develop standardized procedures (screening, statistical methods, and arbiter training). High-profile controversies—over-the-board and online—have led to stronger controls, from screening areas to post-game analysis.

Organizers have also experimented with norms that encourage sporting behavior, such as “Sofia Rules” (pioneered in the mid-2000s), which disallow draw offers before a certain move without arbiter approval.

Famous incidents and anecdotes

Kasparov–J. Polgar, Linares 1994: A widely discussed touch-move controversy arose when Kasparov briefly released a piece and then retracted the move; video evidence existed but was not admissible at the time. The episode is often cited in fair play discussions and helped push for clearer, stricter procedures.
“J’adoube” misuse: At Sousse 1967, GM Milan Matulović notoriously took back a move and reportedly muttered “J’adoube,” earning the derisive nickname “J’adoube.” The case is a cautionary tale that “j’adoube” permits adjustment only, not takebacks.
Modern anti-cheating: Notable cheating cases in the 2010s–2020s (OTB and online) prompted increased device controls, fair play officers, and statistical monitoring, reshaping how elite events are conducted.

Common misunderstandings

Playing for tricks is unfair: False. Setting legal traps and swindles is part of chess. What’s unfair is using assistance or unsporting behavior to create those chances.
You must resign in lost positions: No. Resignation is courteous when the position is clearly hopeless, but playing on in practical chances is acceptable.
Early draws are always unfair: Not against the rules unless restricted by event regulations. Still, many events discourage short, non-competitive draws to respect spectators and sponsors.

Tips to promote fair play

Before the round: Silence devices, know event rules, and clarify any special regulations (e.g., no early draws).
During the game: Move, offer draw (if any), then press the clock; avoid repeated offers and talking; call the arbiter for disputes.
Online: Close analysis tools while playing, use one account, and accept losses without messaging or stalling.
After the game: Shake hands or acknowledge respectfully, and analyze amicably if both players agree.